Crowned-base rail-joint.



B. WOLHAUPTER.

OROWNED BASE RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.11, 1913. g gg Patented July 14,1914

2 SHEETS SSHEET l.

B. WOLHAUPTER.

GROWNED BASE RAIL JOINT. -APPLIOATIONIIILED r1113. 11, 1913.

Patented July 14,1914.

2 QHEETS-SHEET 2.

lUll'llTl l i/ %TATE% PATENT QFFllQlEQ BENJAMIN WOLHAUPTER, OF NEW ROCHELLE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE RAIL JOINT COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

CBOWNED-BASE RAIL-JOINT.

nioaeeo.

Application filed February 11, 1913.

mcnts in Crowned-Base Rail-Joints, of

which the following is. a specification.

This invention relates to rail joints of the type having'a' -crowned base for supporting the rail ends.

The crowned-base type of rail joint possesses a number of practical functional characteristics and advantages that, are provided for and maintained in a very eifective manner by the present invention. Among the more important objects of a joint of this character is to properly dis-' tribute the load from the rails through the joint to the ties, and as the crowning rail seat and support provides means whereby the load is transmitted only through the center of the joint to the ties, the very common pumping up and. down of the ties is eliminated to a maximum extent, and at the same time the loads are distributed in such a way as to avoid displacing of the ties or the loosening of the road-bed. Furthermore, a rail joint having thp crownedbase characteristic referred til confines the tight fit of the joint to the rail base at the ends of the rails only, with the consequence that, the end bolts of' the joint may be tightened to any degree without liability of kinking the rails, and the wave motion in the rails under load is transmitted more evenly through the joint with less upward movement of the rail ends, than in a joint having a tight base support throughout. its length.

Accordingly, an object of the present in vention.is to provide a construction wherein the full edect of the crowned-base support is obtained in a rail joint and means provided whereby the alinement 0f the rails and tie bolts may be maintained under all conditions of adjustment.

Furthermore, a special and important object of the invention is to provide a crowned-base rail joint whose construction is of such a character as to make it possible tosecure the crowned-base support by the manip lation and development of a base plate only, thus permitting the side bars of the joint to be of conventional form and rc- Specification of Letters Patent.

patented July ill, rarer Serial No. 747,824.

- main unchanged, and requiring no pressing or special rolling operations.

With these and many other. objects in view which will more readily appear to those familiarwith the art, as the structural features of the invention are better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter more fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

Though susceptible of structural modification and adaptation to various forms of bars and base plates, the referred and practical embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the 'aocompanyingdrawings in connection with the well known Wolha'upter type of rail joint, in which- Figure 1 is an end view of the Wolhanpter type of rail joint embodying the improvements contemplated by the present invention to provide a crowned-base joint; the rails shown in section. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional View of the same joint at the center thereof, the rail ends shown in elevation. Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal sectional view of the joint, the base plate shown in section, and the'rails in elevation. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, illustrating a modification wherein the crowned-base may be provided by a rolling operation instead of pressing up the crowned or raised rail seat, as shown in Fig. 3.

Like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings.

According to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, the crowned-base rail joint includes in its organization the rail ends R, the opposite side joint bars 1, 1, and a separate rail-supporting base plate 2 clamped in eflective position beneath the rails in a manner characteristi of the lVolhaupter type of rail joint referred to.

Each of the side joint bars 1 is of angle bar formation and is provided with a main upright splice member 3 disposed within the fishing spaces of the rails and having at its upper edge an enlargement forming a bearing head 4, and formed with the lower edge of the splice member 3 is the usual inclined foot flange-5 overlying and engaging the rail base flange. in addition to the splice incinparallel with the rail bottoms and adapted to provide supporting and clam ing shoulders, upon which rest opposite s1 e edge ortions of the separate rail-supporting ase 'late' 2. In the Wolha'uptertype of railjoint this separate base plate '2 is provided 15- 'at one side edge thereof with an upstanding abutment flange or shoulder 8, which is engaged by the edges of therail base-flanges at one 'side of the oint, and said separate base plate is also usually of'a corrugated design, as shown Figs' 1, 2 and?) of'the'drawings, although it' will'be understood that this is ,nota necessary feature of the invention as I the latter"ma'y 'be' carried out with. base pla es either ofa plain 'or corrugated type.

" distinctive fe'ature'of the present invention resides in utilizing a separate baseplate having a crowned rail seat and support upon which the rail ends rest. According to the embodiment. of the invention suggested in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawin s, the crowned for raised rail seat, designate by the reference number may be'formed in a suitable press ordie, whose operationsefiect an upsetting or ressing up of the base plate preferably at t e center,iso as'to' provide a well defined seat to give the rail ends a base support at the 'centerof the joint, while'the remaining portions o'fthe base late are out of contact with the bottoms of t erails. j While there" is shown in Fig. .3'of the drawings only a smgleY 'aiSed or. crowned rail seat provided on the base plate at the center of the joint, and under the. ends of the rails it will be understood that the proyisionoi a pressed-up railseat or seats may 'be repeated at several points throughout the length of the joint, without departing from the invention, so long as the feature 1s preserved of having 'a crowning support for the ends of the rails at the center of the joint, whilethe rails within the end portions of the joint are normally out of contact with the supporting seat or base; in order that the full effect of a crowned-base support for the rail ends may be obtained.

Byway of illustrating the modification that may be resorted to in carrying out the invention, there is shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, a modified form of crowned rail seat and su ort. .That is to say, according to the illustration of'Fig. 4:, it will be observed that a crowned rail seat and support 9 may be provided for the rail ends at the center of the joint by a rolling operation wherein the base plate is rolled on a curved line. In this proposed embodiment of the invention, that is the one shown in Fig. i of the drawings, the end portions 9 of the base plate are preferably fiat and occupy a horizontal plane and are adapted to bear on the base flanges 7 for the full width of the ties. By reason of this construction the base plate is supported from the joint bars, over the ties, while the highest point of the base plate will be disposed under the rails atthe center of the joint with the result of giving the same crowned-base support as the pressed-up seat 9 shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. r YVithout regard to the design of the separate base' plate employed, or the manner in which'the crowned rail seat and support is "'rovided, another important feature of the invention resides in having the bearing head'st 'at'the upper edges ofjeach of the 'slplicemembers 3 disposed below and out of contact with'the under sides of the rail heads. ,This is done in order that the heads 4 ofjthfe splicemembers will not be called upon to take any of the load from the rail head and to allow foihny slight deflection of the base plate under the load but more specially to"allow ,for the free"'vertical movement of the rail at the ends of the joint under the wave motion of the rolling lo'ads.

These heads have a pressing engagement with and against the rail webs in order that they will act as aims-1 to the boltsiin tigthenin' up the lower portions of the joint and alsohas fa fpressin engagement with and against the rail we in 'orderto maintain the alineinent of the rails. From the fore oing, 'it'fis' thought 'that'the invention Will thoroughly understood without "further description, but it is also to ing from the spirit, or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention. f Iclaim:

19A rail joint including joint bars having base fianges,'an'd a separate base plate clamped between said base flangesand the rail bottoms and having a crowned rail seatas p r x.

2. A rail joint including joint bars having inwardly "projecting horizontalbase flanges, and a separate base plate engaged with the edges of the base flanges at one side "of the joint and clamped between the bottoms of the rails and the base flanges of be understood "that various changes in the; form, "proportion;- and minor details of construction' may be resorted to without departthe joint bars, said separate base plate having a crowned rail seating portion.

3. A rail joint including side joint bars, and a separate corrugated rail supporting base plate engaged by said bars and having a crowned rail seating portion.

4. A rail joint including joint bars arranged below and out of contact with the under sides of the rail heads and having an engagement with the rail webs, and a separate base plate provided with a crowned rail seating portion.

5. A rail joint including joint bars arranged below and out of contact with the under sides of the rail heads and having an engagement with the rail webs, and a sepa-' rate base plate engaged by said joint bars and having a crowned rail seating portion.

6. A rail joint including joint bars having upright members within the fishing spaces and provided at their upper edges the rail with the un r sides of the rail heads, and a separate base plate held by said joint bars beneath the rail bottoms and provided with a crowned rail seatin ortion.

7. A rail joint incfii ing side joint bars arranged out of contaot with the under sides of the rail heads and bearing against the rail webs, and a separate base late .held between the rail bottoms and the oint bars and provided with a raised rail seat ada ted to be engaged by the rail ends at t 0 center of the joint.

In testimonfi 1 whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in t BENJAMIN WOLHAUPTER. Witnesses:

E. F. Sonnnmnnnonir,

K. MONALLY.

e presence of two witnesses. 

